Nairn’s Primary Care Centre opens for patients
Nairn’s new Primary Care Centre, the largest and most integrated health development in Scotland , opens its doors to patients tomorrow (Tuesday 27 July). GPs, community nurses and social workers have moved into their new building in Nairn over the last week. The modern facility unites community and hospital care on the one site on Cawdor Road.
Around 145 GPs, nurses, midwives, therapists, social workers and support staff are now based in the centre. A five surgery dental practice will open next month.
The Primary Care Centre includes 22 consulting rooms, a minor surgery room, conference room and office space for two GP Practices; the Lodgehill Clinic and the Ardersier branch surgery. It also includes offices and meeting space for a range of community staff including district nurses, midwives, community psychiatric nurses, public health nurses, school nurses, health visitors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, pharmacist and dietician.
The Highland Council Convener, Councillor Sandy Park, is delighted with the new facility in Nairn. The Council has moved staff from the Corsee Home, to the new Primary Care Centre, including those involved in community care, children and families, occupational therapy, home care, fostering and adoption and youth action.
He said: “This is a wonderful facility for Nairn. It provides a wide range of important health-related services in modern surroundings under one roof in a central location. The inter-agency project highlights the benefits of sharing premises to provide integrated services for the public.”
Lodgehill Clinic GP Dr Adrian Baker is clinical lead for the Nairn and Ardersier Locality of NHS Highland. He said: “This is a historic moment for this locality and the realisation of a vision that has been held for over two decades by the community and staff. To have all health and social services integrated on one site is a once in a lifetime achievement, to put this into perspective, the most recent health development in Nairn was Lodgehill Clinic in 1961. NHS Highland, Prime, Morrison Construction, social work and the practices have worked very closely together to provide the most integrated site in Scotland which will further improve the already high levels of communication between the services. Patients will be able to have all primary health and social care needs met in this wonderful example of modern premises.”
The development is being provided in a partnership between NHS Highland, the two GP surgeries, The Highland Council and specialist healthcare developer Prime.
The Hospital and Primary Care Centre were developed by Prime Plc and built by Morrison Construction. It has been delivered on time and within budget at £12 million pounds.
Construction Management Director at Prime Plc Paul Plumstead said: “The completion of this integrated health facility is an immense achievement and a credit to everyone who was determined to ensure that Nairn would be able to offer the best possible, state-of-the-art facilities for its patients. Nairn’s new primary care centre is located within the heart of the community to ensure that all residents can benefit from its integrated services and will provide the community with a wide range of healthcare for many years to come.”
Donald McLachlan, operations director with Morrison Construction, added: “There is a tremendous sense of pride within the company at handing over Nairn’s new Primary Care Centre, an excellent demonstration of our capability in constructing healthcare developments. The end result is one that is both of high quality and sympathetic to the surrounding environment. “I see it becoming very much a flagship community hospital of which NHS Highland can be proud, and which will facilitate modernisation of the provision of healthcare services for the local area.”
The Primary Care Centre is on three floors and includes a spacious waiting area with electronic touch-screen patient check in facilities. The screens are an alternative for patients who can still check in for their appointments at reception.
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